Awning.



7 Patents 0000000000000 A W N I N G.

eeeeeeee UNITED STATES BURTON T. LAMB AND ELIJAH G. GOULD, OF PORTLAND,MAINE.

AWNING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,913, datedSeptember 30, 1902.

Application filed May 14, 1902. Serial No. 107,360. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, BURTON T. LAMB and ELIJAH G. GOULD, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland andState of Maine, have invented a new and useful Awning, of which the tobe automatically opened by any abnormal pressure from belowas,forinstance,a heavy .windthereby relieving the heavy pressure andpreventing the tearing of the awningor loosening it from its fastenings.

The invention further consists in certain novel features of theconstruction, which will be hereinafter described, and specificallydefined in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of an awning with the improvement attached thereto. Fig. 2 is anenlarged detail view of the means for connecting the free end of theflap with the awning.

The awning is represented at of the ordinary form and provided with aventilatingaperture at 11. Covering this aperture is a flap 12,extending to the top of the awning, as at 13, and secured to theawning-support, together with the upper edge 14 of the awn ing, toproperly shed the rain, so that when closed the aperture 10 will becompletely covered and the entrance of rain or snow prevented.

The flap 12 will be considerably larger than the aperture 10, so as toamply provide for shedding the rain when closed and also forming anample shield to the aperture when open.

Attached to the flap 12 near its'lower edge is a bar 15, and attached totheawning below the aperture 10 is a similar or'companion bar 16, thetwo bars being so located that when the flap 12 is closed the two barswill engage and lie side by side between the flap and awning, so thatthe flap will lie close to the awning when closed.

Thus a complete self-acting or automatic de- PATENT OFFICE.

Each of the bars 15 16 is slotted at its ends, as shown at 17 18, theseslots aifording means for supporting-pivots 19 20 ofdiagonally-disposedor cross bars 21 22, as shown, the'bars 21 22 being united at theircrossing points by a pivot 23. These bars, as will be seen in Fig. 1,form an expansible frame to support the flap 12 and which are alsofoldable with the flap when the latter is closed. When closed, the barsall lie in close proximity and do not, therefore, prevent the flap whenclosed from lying close to the awning and completely closing theaperture.

While we have shown the bars 15 16 both slotted, the device wouldoperate equally as wellfif one bar only were slotted, with the j slotsmade somewhat longer; but this would be merely a colorable modificationand would not affect the invention or sacrifice any of its? advantages.

The device may be made of any size or ap plied to any part of the awningand any de sired number of the foldable flaps may be em- 7 ployed.

The flap 12, when the atmosphere is quiescent or when only a lightbreeze is blowing, will lie close over the aperture and completely closeit. If, however,'the wind rises to an abnormal degree or with a forcesufficient to create a pressure that would endanger the awning, the flap12 will yield to this pressure and permit the air to pass through, andthus relieve the awning and prevent breakage of the supportsand'fastenings or the tearing of the awning. When the pressure ceases,the flap will automatically return to its normal position and completelyclose the aperture.

vice is produced which will be ready at all times to. relieve thepressure and prevent breakage or tearing of the awning, while at thesame time forming a complete closure to the aperture under normalconditions Having thus described ourinvention, we claim is- I 1. Anawning having an aperture, covering said aperture, and means COIIIIGGK.ing the free edge ofsaid flap with the body of the awning, said meansserving to permit the upward movement of the free edge of said flap andto limit the movement of the same in an upward directiom 2. Thecombination with an awning having an aperture therethrough, of a flapcovering said aperture, a bar secured near the free ed ee of said flap,acorresponding bar secured to the body of the awning, and connectingmeans, so connecting the said bars as to permit them to separate whenthe flap is raised by the impact of the Wind and to lie closely togetherupon the cessation of such pressure.

3. An awning having an aperture, a flap covering said aperture andconnected by one edge to the awning, oppositely-disposed bars connectedrespectively to the outer edge of said flap and to said awning, andcrossed, pivotally-connected bars connected movably to saidoppositely-disposed bars.

4. An awning having an aperture, 9. flap covering said aperture andconnected at one edge to the awning, oppositely-disposed bars connectedrespectively to the free edge of said flap and to said awning, said barshavinglongitndinal slots, and reversely-disposed diagonal bars connectedmovably to said slots.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own We have heretoaffixed our signatures 25 in the presence of two witnesses.

BURTON T. LAMB. ELIJAH G. GOULD.

Witnesses:

B. O. STONE, E. F. THOMPSON.

